Send this to a friend

Rebounding from threatened closure a year and a half ago, Zoo New England is putting the finishing touches on a strategy that aims to significantly cut the organization’s reliance on the state and build its base of private donors.

A central piece of the strategic effort includes revamping the organization’s board of directors — in essence, doubling the size of the board with directors no longer appointed exclusively by the governor and who have strong philanthropic ties.

The plan also includes pursuing corporate partnerships, increasing sources of earned revenue and leveraging a $30 million bond previously approved by the state Legislature.

State funding currently comprises about half the budget for Zoo New England, which operates the Franklin Park and Stone zoos, and the plan is to winnow that down to 20 or 30 percent, said John Linehan, CEO. The onus is on the new directors to make that happen — civic, business and philanthropic leaders who bring “work, wisdom and wealth” and, in some cases, high profile, Linehan said.

New on the board is Robert Beal, for example, president of real estate developer The Beal Companies, which counts among its many projects The Clarendon, a 33-story luxury condominium tower in the Back Bay.

“People with various success in business who can bring us the kind of expertise and governance knowledge and wisdom that we haven’t had,” Linehan said. Under the new structure, he said, the governor appoints two of the directors, and the mayor of Boston appoints one.

The revamped board is a critical part of the strategy that a working group, including state officials, has helped develop since Zoo New England warned lawmakers in July 2009 that it would close after Gov. Deval Patrick slashed $4 million from the zoo’s budget. The situation intensified and polarized — a time so tense, Linehan recalled, he lost 15 pounds.

Lawmakers restored some of the state funding and an ambitious effort was launched to make Zoo New England more self-sustaining. Last summer, the state Legislature approved a measure paving the way for the new board structure, which increases the number of directors from 15 to 30, and the organization has since appointed eight new members.

Linehan said he studied zoo operations in Chicago, Minnesota and Ohio as examples of “realistic models for the future” of Zoo New England.

Indeed, zoos in other metropolitan areas tend to be governed by large boards and, on average, public funding comprises about half of most zoo budgets, said Steve Feldman, spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a national accreditation and membership organization.

Zoo New England had been governed the same way since 1991, when the state Legislature removed the Franklin Park and Stone zoos from the former Metropolitan District Commission and created an organization to manage them. Though the state gave up day-to-day control, the selection of board members remained entirely in the hands of the governor.

For his part, Patrick — like recent predecessors — has not appointed all 15 directors who should be on the Zoo New England board. Linehan said he did not know why, but acknowledged that operating without a full board has hampered the organization’s ability to fundraise. The governor’s office did not return phone calls seeking clarification.

While Zoo New England remains highly dependent on state support, government funding has been on a downward trend, dipping from $6.8 million in 2008 to $5 million in 2010, before increasing slightly in 2011 to $5.5 million. Of Zoo New England’s roughly $10 million budget in 2010, the zoo raised about $1.1 million from donors and $3.3 million from visitors.

Fundraising during the second half of 2010 increased more than 13 percent compared to the same period in 2009, Linehan said. And in 2009, the zoo got a $700,000-plus boost from the filming of the movie “The Zookeeper,” starring Kevin James, who also filmed “Mall Cop” in Massachusetts.

“The secret to the zoo’s success is to be as independent as possible and to control its own destiny as much as possible,” said Richard Tisei, a former state representative whose district included Stone Zoo. “Obviously having a bigger board and being able to identify and appoint people to the board themselves, instead of having the process at the whim of the governor, no matter who the governor is, is important to them.”

The path ahead of Zoo New England “is no different than what you would see at the (New England) Aquarium, the Museum of Science and the Boston Children’s museum,” said Beal, who was chairman of the zoo’s board 30 years ago, before Zoo New England was formed.

The difference, Tisei cautioned, is that Boston’s other major cultural attractions have devoted generations to cultivating donors and Zoo New England is only now embarking on its mission.

For his part, Linehan is feeling much more positive about Zoo New England’s future. He gained back the 15 pounds he lost during the funding struggle in 2009, and he dares to dream big, visions that include waiting lines for exhibits and two zoos that top the list of places Bostonians want to bring their visitors.

“A place that people say, ‘You have to go there if you haven’t been there already,’” he said.

Comments

If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.